


The Question of the Force

by madridistagoblue



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Established Relationship, Family, Gen, Learning to see new points of view, M/M, Religious Conflict, The Force
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:35:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25301716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madridistagoblue/pseuds/madridistagoblue
Summary: Poe has always wanted to be a father. So, when Armitage starts exploring options to expand their family, he's surprised by Poe's hesitation. Poe doesn't want to commit to parenthood without first discussing an uncomfortable question: Will Armitage be willing to let Poe teach their future child about The Force?
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Armitage Hux
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26
Collections: Gingerpilot Week 2020





	The Question of the Force

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Gingerpilot Week 2020  
> Day 5: The Force

"I'm sorry, Armitage. I know we don't really talk about it. But if we're going to try and have children, we need to talk about it now, so it doesn't become an issue later."

Poe crossed his arms and leaned against the electronic door of their home office, staring down at Armitage's desk.

  
"I just think it's not the most pressing issue at the moment," Armitage said. His ginger hair was the only thing visible as he crouched over his desk, sorting a mess of papers for fertility clinics, adoption agencies, and social services into orderly piles. "Why discuss what we're going to do with the child when we haven't even fully decided if there will _be_ a child? Let alone how, or the cost, or the timeframe..."

  
"But that's my point. I can't give you an answer until I'm sure that we've really thought this through."

  
"I think we have." Armitage sat up in his chair and motioned to the stacks of paper on his desk. "You've practically been ready to be a father since the day we were married. Probably well before that. You've always treated the BB units like they were our children. Sloane, as well, when we adopted her." He motioned to a black cat in the corner of the room, pawing at the BB-9E unit that rolled back and forth in front of her. "I was the one who needed time. And now that my mind is made up, you're suddenly hesitating."

  
Poe walked over, and set a hand atop the mess of papers, preventing Armitage from continuing his sorting. "Armitage," he said calmly, "I want to teach my child about the Force."

  
Armitage was silent for a second, then swiveled his chair away from the desk and stood up.

  
"Fine," he spat. "If you insist on arguing about this now, so be it."

  
"It doesn't have to be an argument."

  
"You're right, it doesn't," Armitage agreed, his sarcastic tone cutting like a sharp blade between him and his husband, who backed away slowly. "Half of our acquaintance can use the power of the Force: Rey, Ben, Finn....Not to mention the stories they’ll hear about the Legends of the Republic: Luke Skywalker, Ben Kenobi, General Organa…The list goes on and on. Our child will hardly grow up in a world without knowledge of the Force, and if they happen to possess it, Rey can teach them when they're old enough. I'm hardly asking you to forbid the child from possessing knowledge of the world around them."

  
"Ok, then what _is_ the issue?"

  
"The religion," Armitage scoffed as he turned and walked towards the control panel for the door. "Insisting that _our_ child will follow _your_ belief at all costs." He slapped the door switch roughly with the palm of his hand. 

  
"I can't control what the kid believes in, Armitage,” Poe said as the door opened. “But, yes, I want to be able to teach them about it. It's important to me."

Poe followed as Armitage walked out of the office and towards the bedroom.

  
"What about what's important to me?" Armitage asked, focused on the way forward. He opened the bedroom door and immediately walked over to their bed. He turned around towards Poe, folded his arms and perched himself comfortably on the edge. Poe took a deep breath. Armitage was in this argument for the long haul now.

  
"If you had some kind of religious practice, I'd be happy to let you share it. But you don't." Poe remained standing, looking down at Armitage where he sat. "What exactly is it that's important to you? Do you really not _believe_ in the Force? I mean, no offence, babe, but I don't think Kylo Ren could have faked the things he did to either of us.”

  
"Do you take me for an idiot?" Armitage asked scathingly. "Of course, I understand that the Force exists. But it's a power: that some people genetically possess. This idea that it lives in all of us, that it surrounds us and inhabits every living thing? That's a fantasy."

  
"I know it's hard to understand," Poe said, acquiescing to take a spot on the bed at Armitage's side. "But I don't think you'd see it that way if you'd just listen and stop shutting down every time that I bring it up. We could visit my childhood home -- see if the tree is still there?"

  
"Look, I don't wish to offend you, and I have come to respect whatever traditions you may have shared with your family. That's why I did not wish to engage in this argument. If you wish to show devotion to the Force then, by all means, I will not stop you."

  
"No," Poe huffed. "You won't. You'll just stop me from passing those traditions down to my own children."

  
"I simply ask that you wait until the children are adults and can make judgments for themselves. Then you may share whatever you wish."

  
"What are you so afraid of? Even if you don't believe that the Force is in all of us -- and, no offense, but it is -- what harm does it do to a kid to think that? I'm not going to let the kid...I don’t know, hop in a x-wing and just say 'Oh, don't worry, Armitage, the Force will protect them!' Is that what you think? That I'm going to use my beliefs to be an irresponsible parent?"

  
"Stars, no!" Armitage replied. His face was contorted in confusion, as though the revolting idea had never occurred to him. "I certainly hope you wouldn't.”

  
"Then what, in the name of the ancients, is your issue?" Poe looked Hux squarely in the eyes.

  
Hux exhaled in a huff, rolling his eyes. "The Order may have been cruel, but it was practical. As much as I envy your outlook on life, the galaxy is ruled by power and fear. There are a select few who possess the advanced abilities known as the powers of the Force. These people obtain a privilege by the very nature of their birth -- and people like you and I, Poe, can only use our wits to fight back.

“They aren't superior to us. The Jedi were all but destroyed. But we _believe_ they are. Someone like Ben Solo can turn from the Jedi order and find himself Supreme Leader by virtue of nothing but his midi-chlorian count and a twist of genetic fate. Legends don't exist in a vacuum. The legends of your Republic are as fabricated as the tales I read as a boy of the Empire. The notion that the Force lives in all of us encourages us to defer to those privileged with the ability to use it. It makes it seem like they surpass us spiritually and in their connection to a higher power. If there's one thing I don't want our children – _my_ children -- to grow up with, it's the inability to question the authority which governs them. I think you can grant me this much."

  
Armitage's green eyes pierced Poe with blazing certainty, forcing him to turn away. Poe felt his hands tremble. His stomach growled with nerves and his mind raced. It was rare for Armitage to state his feelings so plainly. So, when he did, Poe tended to listen.

He knew that Armitage felt resentment and guilt for how strongly he'd believed in the Order, to his own detriment and the galaxy's. Poe respected that. He wanted to acknowledge that. He'd never been able to understand Hux's distaste for talking about Force, but now it made sense. And yet, despite all of that understanding, Poe still disagreed. But how to reason with him? How to make Armitage understand his own point of view? Maybe, it was better to start by acknowledging his…

  
"I see..." Poe began nervously, reaching to his side and placing a hand over Armitage's. Armitage jolted, but he allowed the intimate gesture. It was a good start.

  
"I'm sorry that I've never taken the time to try and understand how my beliefs made you feel. That was selfish of me, and maybe we shouldn't have ignored it for so long. People have used my beliefs for power and for harm. And nothing justifies that. Rey even tells me that it’s one of the reasons Luke isolated himself for so long. The Jedi aren’t immune from exploiting their power.

But the way you see the world isn't how I see it. Of course, wars will continue to be fought and Empires built on the backs of people exploiting the differences between abilities, species, cultures, and planets. Even the Jedi and the Sith cannot agree on how to use the Force. But the solution the First Order had, to destroy all relics of the past and crush dissent and ignore the things that make us unique didn't actually make any of those things go away. They existed and they persisted. Whether or not our child can use the force like Rey, they’ll grow up in a world where it exists and influences us.

I do believe the Force is in all of us. And the way I see it, that doesn’t make people like the Skywalkers or the Emperor better than us. It means that we all can have a special bond with it, whether we can control it or not. I believe the Force strengthened my abilities as a pilot. And I believe it brought the two of us together. What can I do, to be able to share that small miracle with my family, and not have you worry that they'll be brainwashed into kowtowing at Ben Solo's feet?"

"Oh, stars, if they are, you might make a praying man out of me yet." His voice was calm and serious, but his wide eyes betrayed the lighthearted exaggeration of the statement. Poe laughed, but only for a moment, before his expression hardened again.

"Let me tell our child about my experiences with the Force, Armitage. Please…"

"Acknowledging my feelings is appreciated, but it doesn't give you a free pass to return to begging..."

" _And_ ," Poe added, staring Armitage in the eyes and waiting to continue until he had approval.

"And?"

"I want you to talk to them about the First Order. Honestly. Nothing's off limits, except for what you don't want to tell. What you liked. What you didn't like. What you hate and what you still believe in. I want our kids to understand authority -- when it's appropriate to respect it, and when they should feel empowered to say no. I want you to explain how the Force can be used for exploitation, and why some people see it as dangerous. I'll do what I can, but I think this would be more meaningful coming from you. If that's what you want too."

There was silence for a moment as Armitage seemed to consider. Finally, he nodded.

"Alright. I give my consent."

Poe's face lit up. "Was that so painful?" he asked with a small, intimate smile, learning closer to Armitage, and stroking the hand still underneath his own with his thumb.

"I return the question to you. At one point you looked on the verge of tears."

Poe shook his head, the grin still on his face. "I'm glad we've reached some sort of agreement."

"Yes. But I still think this is in rather the wrong order," Armitage griped. "Are we having a child or not?"

"It's not the wrong order," Poe replied, placing his head on Armitage's shoulder. "It's not, because I know my answer now. I know we can compromise with each other as parents. I know we can raise our children in accordance with both our values. Yes. I want to move forward with this. I'm sure of it now."

Armitage pulled his hand out from underneath Poe’s and absentmindedly mussed Poe's hair, reveling in the intimate silence for just a moment. After a few minutes, he stood up without warning, chuckling to himself as Poe – still leaning over -- struggled to find his balance.

"Alright then, General Hux-Dameron," Armitage said. "I think you have some papers to look through."


End file.
